COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Multiple laws are going into effect in Ohio on Tuesday, addressing topics from age verification for pornography to income taxes and artificial intelligence in schools.
In June, Gov. Mike DeWine signed a $60 billion two-year budget, in which lawmakers folded in a variety of changes to state law. On Tuesday, those policy changes are set to take effect, including the seven notable updates listed below.
Age verification for adult websites
Pornography websites and any online platform that hosts a “significant” amount of content that is “obscene or harmful to juveniles” are now required to verify their visitors are adults. This means to access such sites, Ohio users must upload a copy of their government-issued photo ID or other age-verifying documents, such as proof of a mortgage or employment.
Artist says work being stolen, sold on TemuPurveyors of online pornography are required to “immediately” delete such documents after the verification is complete, unless a user maintains an account or subscription. Those who have a profile must go through age verification every two years. If a user does not renew their account within two years, the law requires the site to delete all age-verifying documents.
To ensure Ohio users’ ages are verified, adult websites are responsible for using technology to monitor the location of their visitors. Platforms that do not comply could face a civil lawsuit by the Ohio attorney general, who holds the sole authority to enforce the statute.
Increased driver’s ed requirements
While the state’s previous rules allowed legal adults – including 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds – to bypass driver’s ed and earn their license by simply passing the road test, the new law requires the training for everyone under 21.
Ohioans under 21 must now complete a “Class D” course, which was previously only required of those under 18 and includes a minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction, eight hours of behind-the-wheel training, and 50 hours of in-car supervised practice, including 10 hours at night.
The new law does not, however, require residents under 21 to hold a temporary permit for a specific period before taking the road test, as can be seen with the six-month rule for those under 18.
Gender identity
As of Tuesday, the state officially only recognizes two sexes, male and female, and has declared that these sexes are “not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
Dublin schools unveils redistricting plans for next school yearThe new law codifies gender identity as an individual’s “internal and subjective” sense of self that is “disconnected from biological reality” and cannot be recognized as a replacement for sex. It further specifies that the state recognizes women as individuals who belong, at conception, to the sex that produces egg cells, while men belong to the sex that produces sperm cells.
Flat income tax rate
Thanks to the budget, Ohio is phasing out its graduated tax system with multiple brackets and adopting a new flat income tax rate. A 2.75% flat rate will take effect in tax year 2026. In tax year 2025, the highest tax bracket -- consisting of those making more than $100,000 -- will see an immediate reduction, dropping from 3.5% to 3.125%.
Expanded abortion reporting
State law has long required physicians to report certain information about abortions to the Ohio Department of Health. This data is collected through confidential forms given to patients, which include questions about their medical history and demographic information. The data from the forms is compiled into publicly released annual reports, which detail abortion statistics in the state for the previous calendar year.
The budget expands the scope of abortion information that is collected and published, most notably by creating a public, electronic dashboard that will release data from these forms each month. This will supplement the annual report rather than replace it. NBC4 reached out to the health department to learn when it will publish the first monthly dashboard but has not yet received an answer.
Ohio launches new driver-safety appThe guidelines also create statistical categories that will be included in the monthly and annual reports. New information includes the number of abortions performed on minors at each facility, as well as the number of Ohioans and out-of-state residents who had abortions after 12 weeks of gestation.
Other changes
Some law changes technically take effect on Tuesday, but residents will likely not notice any changes just yet, as the provisions have given state agencies later deadlines to comply.
For example, the budget requires the Department of Education and Workforce to develop a model policy addressing the appropriate use of artificial intelligence by students and staff for educational purposes by Dec. 31. Each school district must adopt its own policies no later than July 1, 2026. Districts may choose to adopt the department’s model policy or develop their own. Any self-developed policy must be submitted to the state for approval.
The statute also requires every government agency in the state, including counties, cities, school districts and townships, to implement a cybersecurity program that safeguards their computer systems. The law states each program must “be consistent with generally accepted best practices for cybersecurity.” Counties and cities must have a program in place by Jan. 1 and all other entities by July 1.
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